Buffy: Go Fish (2.20)

Here we are in standalone city once again, a monster-of-the-week episode clumsily slotted in between an episode that pushed forward momentum, via the combining of various standalone and arc elements and a doozy of a cliffhanger, and the two-part finale. Go Fish suffers because it's not even a particularly strong standalone episode. There are some interesting moments, but too much of the humor is of the goofy variety, while the 'message' at the center of the world is a little too preachy for me. And, once again, we have Angelus relegated to one scene of unnecessary violence, presumably because they contractually needed to use David Boreanaz every week. This may have been an average monster episode if it were made in season one or at the start of season two, but at this point in time it just looks and feels dated.

Like Phases a couple of weeks back, there was an attempt at commentary on gender politics here, but it's not followed through enough to be effective. Buffy briefly hangs out with a handsome member of the swim team who quickly becomes sexually aggressive towards her. Later, Buffy is offered up as rape fodder for the fish monsters, Coach Marin telling her that she's there to fulfill their 'other needs'. Even later, there's some icky rape humor as Buffy remarks that the fishy dudes 'really loved their coach', just as they're presumably molesting him to death. Ugh. It's just a weird series of messages. I liked the idea of exploring assault and exploitation towards females from an extremely masculine group of jocks, all of whom are allowed to do whatever the hell they like because they're good at a certain competitive sport, but this idea is quickly lost at various points during the hour. In the end, it's all a little weightless.

Great make-up effects, though, all those scenes of skin-shedding gruesomely effective. And who doesn't love the idea of Xander being so desperate to prove his masculinity that he dresses up in tiny little Speedos and joins the swim team? And is that Wentworth Miller and Shane West as part of the fish fodder? There's some fun here, but it's lost among the wave of goofiness that radiates through most of the script. That final shot, in particular, just comes across as silly. Eh. Can we get to the finale already? D+

Credits
Guest stars Charles Cyphers (Coach Carl Marin); Jeremy Garrett (Cameron Walker); Wentworth Miller (Gage Petronzi); Conchata Ferrell (Nurse Ruthie Greenliegh); Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder)
Writers David Fury, Elin Hampton Director David Semel